Impact of nutritional rehabilitation on enzymatic antioxidant levels in protein energy malnutrition

To assess the role of enzymatic antioxidants in the pathogenesis of protein energy malnutrition [PEM] and the effect of nutritional rehabilitation, we studied 30 infants with PEM [mean age 10.63 +/- 4.39 months: 10 marasmic; 8 with kwashiorkor; 12 with marasmic kwashiorkor] and 15 controls. All underwent clinical examination and laboratory investigations, including superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione peroxidase [GPx] estimation before and after nutrition rehabilitation. SOD and GPx were significantly lower in all malnourished infants compared to controls, and significantly increased after nutritional rehabilitation. These significant correlations suggest that antioxidants could be introduced during PEM nutritional rehabilitation to decrease morbidity and mortality.